家 - Home

We landed in DC on a Tuesday afternoon, five days after the tsunami and one week since we've left for Japan. We left the airplane with trepidation, as we saw Gibbs' car on the runway as the Lear Jet slowly rolled to a stop in the tarmac.

The steps were lowered and I left the airplane first, noticing the relieved expressions of Ziva, Tony, Ducky and Jimmy when they finally saw me alive and well.

Gibbs' face was inscrutable as always so I wasn't able to read his reaction when I turned around and helped a small Japanese lady down, as her other arm gripped her precious bundle against her chest.

Ziva and Tony gasped in surprise, immediately turning to Gibbs who kept looking at us without twitching a muscle.

McGee came after us and carried the baby bag with the basic supplies we had arranged.

McGee and I flanked our protégée and walked towards the team, until we finally reached them and felt the weight of Gibbs' stare on us, as his eyes moved from me, to Keiko and to McGee.

"What's the meaning of this?"

Trust Gibbs to always be direct. Tactless, but always direct.

"Boss," McGee glanced down to Keiko, who was almost hunched under the heat Gibbs' glare. "Let me introduce you to Keiko Travis, Petty Officer William Travis' wife, and his daughter, Beauty Travis."

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

We urged Keiko to go with Ducky and Jimmy, who immediately took over the care of our little miracle.

Tony slowly approached McGee after Jimmy took the baby bag he was carrying and went towards Ducky's car and checked his Probie up and down.

The clothes were ill fitting and of low quality, but they were at least warm against the chill of the twilight.

"Hey, McGee." He asked unsure if he should punch his arm or hug him. McGee, since losing several pounds, seemed leaner and wiry, but he right now he looked simply exhausted.

McGee looked tiredly at Tony after forcing himself to tear his gaze from Keiko.

"Are you okay, man?"

"Are you able to handle the truth or do you prefer that I lie to you?"

Tony gulped nervously as he saw the tortured look in his usually softly spoken friend's eyes. A bone deep weariness of someone who has seen too much, too soon and was hanging on to the very last tether of his strength.

"I... I think I prefer the truth."

McGee blinked tiredly before looking down to the floor, rubbing his cold hands against his cheap jeans.

"I really … really need to sleep. For at least a week." He lifted his eyes and looked at Tony with red rimmed eyes, refusing to cry because if he started...

"Buchanan, what did you think you were doing?" Gibbs demanded to know, approaching me and waiting some reaction from my part. But I sincerely couldn't feel a thing, as my head felt like it was filled with cotton and I really couldn't care what he wanted or not.

"Boss, not here, please." I muttered tiredly, looking lovingly to the interior of the car, eager to simply lay on the backseat and sleep for a month. Or maybe two.

Ziva slowly approached and put her own jacket around my shoulders, for which I thanked her with a shaky smile.

"You can ask her motivations when we are back at the office. Here is not the place for this conversation." She said, guiding me towards the cozy and warm interior of the car.

I sat tiredly and immediately closed my eyes. A moment later I've felt the car dip as someone entered and sat beside me, a scratched fine boned hand touching my own. I briefly glanced at McGee as he sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the headrest. Ziva took the driver's seat while Tony took the front passenger seat, letting Gibbs take Keiko, Beauty and Jimmy in his own car.

The last car was Ducky's, which slowly followed the other two as they maneuvered out of the airport.

I leaned my head against McGee's shoulder and was fast asleep before we were out of the main gates.